Firework
by MysticJadeShoe
Summary: It's the 4th, and as usual, Matt's feeling a little down about feeling forgotten again. But Alfred finally notices his bro, and he's not gonna let him down. Brotherly Ame/Can.


**Me again. I did NOT like the way this fic came out, but CheekyFox, ma soeur, forced me to upload it. FORCED I TELL YOU.**

**Anyhow, this is a brotherly America/Canada fic. Take it any way you want, but I prefer them as brothers.**

**Enjoy~**

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><p>Alfred dashes across his lawn barefoot, jacket tossed to the side, a sparkler clutched in his fist, yelling nonsense about freedom and crap. I sit back in the lawn chair and watch him idly - no one remembered my birthday this year. Then again, no one remembers me.<p>

Yao shakes his head. "He acts too young for his age, aru..."

Arthur chuckles tiredly, leaned back in his lawn chair, eyes half-open. "We're talking about America. If you wanted a mature, diplomatic, dapper young man, you came to the wrong universe."

"Tell me about it," I mutter. No one hears, but I'm used to it. Ivan sits back, fingers lightly brushing his pipe. My eyes widen but I look away. I'm still marvelling that he didn't sit on me.

Francis gives his trademark laugh. "In Paris, we celebrate things quite differently on the fourth," he says slyly. "First, we usually pull out a dartboard that has Alfred's face on it -"

"I'm going to your place next July," Arthur says suddenly, looking intrigued.

Francis laughs again. "I did not realize you lusted after me so, Arthur! It was only a matter of time, but this is so... sudden."

Arthur's face hits the deepest shade of red I've ever seen as the rest of the Allies laugh.

I'm sitting there laughing with them until someone taps my shoulder. I look up unexpectedly.

And who would be there but Alfred.

"Yo, Mattie!" he says, blue eyes shining, staring directly into my own. "I totally forgot your birthday was, like, three days ago. Happy birthday!" He shoves a sparkler in my hand as I sit there, completely taken aback by this turn of events.

"What, was it your birthday, Mathieu?" Arthur pipes up. "I had no idea. Why didn't you say something?"

"I di - " I begin, only to be cut off by Ivan.

"Well, happy birthday, Mathieu," he says in his usual, cheery tone. Yao echoes the wish and soon, I find myself sitting in the center of attention as the Allies collectively wish me a happy birthday.

"Wanna help me light the first firework?" Alfred asks suddenly, a crazy glint in his eyes as he grabs my arm and pulls me off my chair. I start trying to protest but the Allies cheer me on, Yao pushing me up and Alfred pulling. He walks up to a pile of fireworks he's assorted and starts rummaging through.

"This one'll do," he says contentedly as he pulls out the biggest firework I've ever seen, turning it around in his hands and inspecting it.

"Are you sure that's legal?" I ask timidly as he sets the firework down and pulls out a lighter. He hands it to me.

"Do us the honors," he says, completely ignoring my question, holding the small silver rectangle out to me. Suddenly and very unexpectedly, I feel bad for taking up the spotlight - it's his birthday too, after all.

"No," I say, "let's light it together." He grins, and we both grab the lighter, both thumbs on the lid.

"Three," he whispers.

"Two," I reply.

"ONE!" we yell together, flicking the lighter on and touching it to the string. The fire creeps up the string quickly, and we retreat back to the rest of the Allies, then look up in the sky. Alfred shoves the lighter back in his pocket.

I look back right on time to see the first firework shoot off the ground.

It flies into the night sky, streams of light flying through the dark and illuminating our faces. A crackle signifies its beginning, to be followed by a BANG and several smaller sizzles as it splits into sparks of red, white, and blue. A huge center blossom takes the stage in a bright red hue, flying through the air. Alfred pumps his fist into the air, yelling and draping his arm around my shoulders. I smile.

"Not bad, little bro!" he says as the first light show ends, pulling his arm off my shoulders and punching one. He's pretty strong - I have to grit my teeth and grin to keep from yelping.

"You picked the firework," I reply through my teeth.

"You lit it."

"Correction: WE lit it."

Arthur smirks. "Nice to see you two getting along."

"What're you talking about? We ALWAYS get along," Alfred says brashly. I laugh at him and shove him, sitting back in my chair, content to hide in the background for once.

The night passed in an array of multicolored lights in the sky. Some pinwheeled, some sparkled, some blew us away - but I couldn't get that first one out of my head.

Finally, Yao goes inside, only to be followed by Ivan. Arthur tags along not long after, and Francis trots in, 'honhonhon'-ing. I stand up and stretch, looking sideways at my older brother.

"You know, you're the first person to remember my birthday in... a long time," I say nonchalantly.

Alfred looks back at me. "Whaat? It's so close to mine! How could people forget it?"

"That's usually why people forget it, actually."

"Huh." He shrugs. "Well, you're welcome. Didn't realize it was that big of a deal, I guess."

"It is," I reply. Suddenly, riding high on the giddyness I can feel in my legs and an impulse, I hug him. He's taller than me so I have to jump.

He's almost prepared - he pauses for a split second before he wraps his arms around me too, and we're in a fierce hug that I assume can only be had by brothers.

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><p><strong>I really need to write an AmeriPan fic sometime soon.<strong>

**ANYHOW. How'd I do? :3**


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